In many centralized systems, many devices across great and small distances can achieve heightened levels of connectivity and interaction without being physically connected to each other and thus, are able to connect and communicate with one another wirelessly. These centralized systems for connecting these devices, however, are accompanied with several disadvantages that limit connectivity in remote locations, limit the autonomy of the devices operating in the centralized systems, and therefore, do not allow for optimal connectivity, autonomous transacting, and communications between and through the devices.
Additionally, due to the inherent lure of abuse and exploitation by centralized systems, all of these economic elements, digital and physical, with existing systems or new products, must be fundamentally autonomous and distributed in nature in order to maximize their potential. It is in autonomous and distributed environments that markets can naturally emerge, balancing and maximizing benefit for all those involved.
The commonly referred to proposal to evolve the Internet to optimize for the “Internet of Things” has become synonymous with connected thermostats, pet collars, and toothbrushes. While the ability to build connectivity between devices like these is novel, there is a possibility that it may not realize the full potential of digitally connecting the physical world of things together. When a device can only connect with similarly-manufactured devices, and each of them can only connect with their manufacturer-approved cloud service, the vast majority of value that the device could have provided over its lifetime is severely hindered since it is strictly tied to a cloud-based interaction platform.
These new economic actors—i.e., the devices themselves—must be principal actors independent from centralized authority (e.g., manufacturers and connectivity servers) to unlock the vast majority of value associated therewith. Including—and especially—from the manufacturers of the devices themselves. It can be a very risky proposition to continue to give central authority, whether a nation state or a corporation, the reach and control over this new type of connected device. These autonomous and fully interconnected devices should retain full control and complete privacy at the device providing the coupling and creating the economic value.
But in order to realize such prospective technical environments where devices are independent actors, the technical functions involved in operating an autonomous device including the operations of any cryptography element and operations of a main central processing unit must be made secure from attackers to allow for connectivity including discovery, interacting, and even transacting value between devices and with people. The need for strong security applies to the entire protocol stack, systems, and methods governing these technical functions. Thus, there is a need in the device security, connectivity and communication field to create new and useful systems and methods for producing devices that are secure all the way from the circuit board through the device firmware to the applications that are run on the device. In this way, the device may be able to implement a secure environment for interactivity of autonomous devices without or independent of a central authority for governing interaction there between and consequently, enhancing the levels and quality of connectivity and contractual interactions achievable with such networks and devices.